Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 29, 1966 c. E. CLINE 3,288,506

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Carl E. Cline H/s A zforney Nov. 29, 1966 c. E. CLINE 3,

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I! K I29 Fig 8 INVENTOR. Carl E Cline His A fforney United States Patent f 3,288,506 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Carl E. Cline, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,876 4 Claims. (Cl. 287-18936) This invention pertains to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to air conditioners and other structures and to fastening means for such structures.

Since labor costs have become high, it is especially important to design parts and fasteners for ease of assembly as well as minimum cost. Frequently it is important to provide for occasional removal by the customer or user.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive construction and nesting of parts with'simple, inexpensive fastening means which are easily and readily assembled and removed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive spring fastening means providing a spring snap holding arrangement for releasably holding other members together in a proper relation.

These and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawings in which an extruded hollow frame member is provided with suitable interior flanges which releasably hold through an interfitting flange arrangement, a grille or louver assembly through the use of a spring fastener which also has a spring pressed roller arrangement for holding the frame to the front of the cabinet shell. The frame is also provided with a second spring fastener or clip which holds a second grille in place and also serves to hold a wire retaining member for holding a filter in proper assembled relation with the grille.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective yiew of an air conditioner embodying one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the spring fastener or clip shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4- is an end view of the spring clip shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of the spring clip shown in FIGS. 2 to 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the spring fastener shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the spring fastener shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the spring fastener shown in FIGS. 6 to 8.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a window-type air conditioner 20 having a box-shaped sheet metal cabinet 22 forming the sides, top, bottom and rear outer shell of the air conditioner. The front edge of this shell 22 is provided with an inwardly offset flange 24 providing a hump 26 between it and the remainder of the shell 22. This inner offset flange 24 fits within the inner cavity 28 (FIGS. 2 and 6) extending longitudinally within the ornamental hollow frame 30 extending around the four sides of the front edge of the shell 22. This frame constituting a first member may be formed of extruded aluminum with the four corners suitably bonded together. In cross section, the frame ice 30 is closed by a thick web 32 at the front and has a substantially straight outer leg 34 extending rearwardly therefrom and an inner irregular leg formed of an inwardly curved section 36, a straight section 38, parallel to the outer leg 34, and a flange arrangement comprising an inwardly extending section 40 forming a shoulder from which extends a rearwardly extending flange 42 providing a first surface having an outwardly turned edge. The outer leg 34 provides an opposite surface. A cavity is located between the outer leg 34 and the inner leg 36, 38, 40 with the mouth of the cavity being located between the flange 42 and the adjacent edge of the outer leg 34. Resting against the inwardly extending section 40 is the rearward offset flange 44 of a perforated inlet air grille 46 which forms the major portion of the front of the cabinet. Extending throughout the major portion of the inner face of the grille 46 is a removable washable filter 48 of porous foam plastic.

The grille 46 is held in place by a plurality of spring clips 50 of the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. The spring clip 50 includes a reverse bend portion 52 extending around the edge of the flange 42 having an arm 54 extending along the inner face of the flange 42 and terminating with an inwardly extending retaining hump 56 which extends along the corner formed between the inwardly extending section 40 and the rearwardly extending flange 42 which serves to hold the clip 56 to the frame 30 as shown in FIG. 2. The clip 50 includes a second arm 58 extending along the opposite face of the flange 42 provided with substantially right angled offset portions 69 and 62 which extend over the flanged offset edge portions 44 of the grille 46 to hold the grille 46 firmly in place. The clip 50 is formed so that the arms 54 and 58 spring together to hold the flange 42 between them with its outwardly inturned edge retaining the arm 58. Each of the clips 50 is provided with an aperture 64 which is capable of receiving the end of a wire 66 extending along the rear face of the filter 48 to hold the filter 48 against the rear face of the grille 46 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus this simple clip 56 of the configuration shown firmly holds together the frame 30, the grille 46, the filter 48, and the wires 66. The arm portion 58 presses tightly against the adjacent face behind the turned edge of the flange 42 by the spring tension produced in the spring clip 50 so that the arm portion 54 is likewise sprung into engagement with the adjacent face of the flange 42 with the hump 56 serving to hold the clip in place and preventing it from being too easily moved.

The grille 46 serves as the inlet air grille while the grille 70 above it serves as the discharge air grille. The grille 70 includes an outer plastic frame 72 constituting a fourth member having an integral flange 74 extending outwardly alongside the inwardly extending section 40 into engagement with the flange 42 and providing shoulders on its opposite sides. This frame 72 has a forwardly extending portion 76 and a rearwardly extending portion 78. An adjustable plastic grille 80 is pivotally mounted on a horizontal pivoting axis in the frame 72. This grille 80 is provided with horizontal louvers 82 and adjustable vertical air deflectors 84 pivotally mounted on a vertical pivoting axis.

The frame 72 is held in place with its flange 74 against the inwardly extending section 40 by a second spring clip 86. This second spring clip 86 includes a bent edge portion 88 formed by a reverse bend from which extends an arm 90 having an inwardly extending section 92 connecting with an adjacent offset straight portion 94 which is pressed against the flange 42. The inwardly extending section 92 engages the shoulder provided by the inwardly extending section 40. This straight portion 94 terminates in two separated curled edges 96 extending downwardly around the end of the flange 42 to the rear side of the flange 74 into alignment with the shoulders of the flange 74 of the frame 72 so as to lock the flange 74 between the inwardly extending section 40 and the curled end 96. The spring clip 86 has a second arm 121 provided with an inwardly extending section 123 which rests against the ofl set flange 24 at the front edge of the outer shell 22 as shown in FIG. 6. This section 123 terminates in two arms 125 which end in a curled portion which is curled about the pin 127 on opposite sides of the plastic roller 129. The pin 127 is provided with heads at its ends which bear against the outer edges of the curled arms 125 to prevent the pin 127 from being moved out of the spring clip 86.

The clip 86 is tensioned so that the arms 90 and 121 will spring outwardly away from each other with the portions 121 and 94 pressing against the inner surfaces of the portions 34 and 42 of the frame 30 to hold the clip 86 relatively firmly in place. The roller 129 bears against the hump 26 to hold the frame 30 assembled to the offset front flange 24 of the outer shell 22 while the curled ends 96 are holding the frame 72 of the discharge grille 70 so that the spring clip 86 and roller 129 are enabled to hold together in proper assembled relation the shell 22, the frame 30 and the frame 72 of the grille 70. The spring clips 86 hold the frame 30 in resilient connection with the outer shell 22 through the spring force applied by the clip 86 to the roller 129 against the hump 26. The outer shell 22 constitutes a third member.

If the customer or user wishes to remove the frame 30 and the grilles 46 and 70, it is merely necessary to pull the frame 30 forwardly so that the roller 129 will ride over the hump 26 and over the inward offset flange 24 until it is free of the shell 22. This makes it possible to remove the filter 48 for cleaning and washing merely by removing the wires 66 from the apertures 64 in the clips 50. When this is accomplished, the filter 48 can be easily replaced and the wires 66 returned to their proper position in the apertures 64. The clips 50 and 86 can be made at a low cost and can be readily applied bp pushing them into place. They are also readily removed by applying sutficient force to compress the clip 86 suflicient to enable the hump 92 and the olfset 123 to clear the adjacent surfaces of the flange 42 and the inwardly extending section 40. The clip 50 is removed simply by forcing the hump 56 over the edge of the inwardly extending section 40 and the surface of the flange 42. It can readily be returned by forcing the clip into the position shown in FIG. 2.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a first member having a cavity therein having a mouth and provided with a first surface on one side of the cavity and an opposite surface on the opposite side of said cavity, one of said surfaces being provided with a shoulder, a spring member extending within the cavity having a reverse bend forming two arms extending from the bend toward the mouth of the cavity, one of said arms having substantial areas fitting substantially upon and bearing against substantial areas of one of said surfaces and the other of said arms having substantial areas bearing against the other of said surfaces, one of said arms having a first means for engaging said shoulder to hold it in place, a third member extending substantially into contact with said first member and provided with a hump, one of said arms having a second means for engaging said hump to hold said first and third members substantially in contact, said spring member being tensioned to press said second means into engagement with said hump.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which one of the arms has the first means while the other arm has the second means.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which a fourth member extends substantially into contact with the first member and has a shoulder, one of said arms having means extending substantially into alignment with said last named shoulder for holding said first and fourth members substantially in engagement.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said second means comprises a roller for engaging said hump.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,739,022 3/1956 Hinz 52509 X 2,944,643 7/1960 David et al 189-36 3,137,372 6/1964 Nash 18935 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. J. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A FIRST MEMBER HAVING A CAVITY THEREIN HAVING A MOUTH AND PROVIDED WITH A FIRST SURFACE ON ONE SIDE OF THE CAVITY AND AN OPPOSITE SURFACE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CAVITY, ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING PROVIDED WITH A SHOULDER, A SPRING MEMBER EXTENDING WITHIN THE CAVITY HAVING A REVERSE BEND FORMING TWO ARMS EXTENDING FROM THE BEND TOWARD THE MOUTH OF THE CAVITY, ONE OF SAID ARMS HAVING SUBSTANTIAL AREAS FITTING SUBSTANTIALLY UPON AND BEARING AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL AREAS OF ONE OF SAID SURFACES AND THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS HAVING SUBSTANTIAL AREAS BEARING AGAINST THE OTHER OF SAID SURFACES, ONE OF SAID ARMS HAVING A FIRST MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID SHOULDER TO HOLD IT IN PLACE, A THIRD MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY INTO CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER AND PORVIDED WITH A HUMP, ONE OF SAID ARMS HAVING A SECOND MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID HUMP TO HOLD SAID FIRST AND THIRD MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT, SAID SPRING MEMBER BEING TENSIONED TO PRESS SAID SECOND MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HUMP. 